Scarlet Chains and Green Curtains
by daydreamchaser
Summary: A new Ministry law requires all pureblooded wizards to marry halfblood or muggleborn witches.  Draco's been paired with the worst choice ever, Hermione!  Can he learn to love his worst enemy, or will he be sent to Azkaban for refusing to obey the law?


Draco Malfoy awoke to a large owl sitting on his chest. "Hey!" He muttered a spell to launch the owl off of him, but the bird did not move. "Bloody hell," Draco grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "For Slytherin's sake, you stupid bird, give me my letter and get the hell out of here. How did you get in, anyway?" A quick glance to his bedside window answered that question; his green curtains were fluttering in the breeze. "Stupid bird," he said again, struggling to sit up.

The owl, a large brown one, flew to Draco's elegant mahogany nightstand, where it extended its leg for Malfoy to retrieve his letter. Draco did so, and the owl flew out the window, leaving Draco a present on the nightstand. "Disgusting," said Draco, directing a cleansing spell to the owl pellets.

With that done, Draco pushed aside his green and silver bed sheets and sat up to read his letter. He unrolled an elegant piece of Ministry parchment. "What do those dolts want now?" He thought (he was always grumpier in the mornings).

"Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,

The Ministry of Magic has just released a new ordinance concerning wizarding marriage law. Due to the dwindling numbers of pureblooded wizarding families, in order to keep the magic alive and growing, marriage between two purebloods has been outlawed. In fact, in accordance with this new law, all pureblood wizards and witches will be assigned a half-blood, Muggleborn, or accepting Muggle person to marry.

Due to your pureblood status, you are hereby required to report to the Ministry at eleven AM on September the first, so that you can receive and accept your new partner. If you do not attend this mandatory meeting, or if you and your partner do not follow all of the marriage regulations, punishment will be swift and harsh, up to and including a stay in Azkaban.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Have a good day, and see you on September the first.

Yours truly,

Ms. Susan Bones

Senior Undersecretary to the Minister"

"Bloody hell," Draco said again, tossing the letter to the floor.

The very last person Draco Malfoy wanted to meet on September first was Ronald Weasley. Unfortunately, the entire wizarding family was standing outside the Ministry when he arrived, arguing loudly with their father, that lump Arthur.

"Can't you do anything about it?" The youngest Weasel, a girl, was shouting the loudest. Her long red hair shimmered in the sunlight, and Draco sneered as he got closer.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I've already spoken to Kingsley himself; he says there's no way out of it."

"Well, you've got to fix the assignments, then," Ginny said firmly, her hands on her hips. "Harry's a half-blood, give him to me."

"Yeah, and Hermione's muggleborn," said Ron, his ears turning red.

"I don't see why any of you would want those two," Draco said loudly, standing directly behind Ginny. He jumped back as the woman spun about and thrust her wand into his face.

"I am not in the mood, Malfoy," she spat at him.

"Don't be such a twat, Weasel, I'm sure you'll get your Golden Boy Potter. After all, I'm sure --"

"He saved your life, you ungrateful git," Ron cut in angrily, also drawing his wand.

"Now, now, let's behave like men, shall we?" Arthur said sternly.

"Indeed," Draco replied with a haughty grin, walking into the Ministry.

After several minutes of navigating the lifts, Draco found himself at the end of a long line of pureblood men, circling around the office of one Susan Bones, secretary to the Minister. Draco did not remember Susan until it was his turn to see her, when he opened the door of her office and came face to face with a kind-looking blonde with a long plait down her back. "You're a Hufflepuff," he said immediately, without feeling.

"Was, Mr. Malfoy, and that has nothing to do with this meeting. Please, have a seat." Susan may have smiled slightly, and this annoyed Draco, who reluctantly sat across from her. "Now, I suppose you'll give me no trouble about this assignment?" Her eyes dared him to speak.

"This is a grievous injustice to purebloods," Draco said angrily, slamming his fist on the desk. "You're simply trying to punish us for Voldemort's evil deeds, but those days are long gone, and this ridiculous plot will not stand."

"Mr. Malfoy, we are simply trying to keep the wizarding world alive," said Susan, crossing her arms primly. "Studies show that the population of people with magical blood has been steadily decreasing for the last hundred years or so. It's a slow process, but if things continue the way they are going, we shall surely die out."

"What the hell am I supposed to say to Parkinson?" Draco demanded. He hadn't wanted to marry Pansy (she was shrill and annoying), but he couldn't deny that she was the best qualified pureblood around, and she had already begun the wedding preparations.

"You are only following the law, Mr. Malfoy," replied Susan, flipping her hair behind her back. "Surely anyone can understand that." Draco made to speak, but Susan opened a folder and began to flip through the pages loudly, a certain sign that she wished him to remain silent. Angrily, he obeyed, and waited for the secretary to look up, with something of a wicked smile upon her face. "Ah, we have your match, Mr. Malfoy."

"Just get it over with," Draco said, brushing his blonde hair back as he looked up towards the ceiling.

"Draco Malfoy, you are hereby required to marry … Ms. Hermione Granger."

Draco had not realized the depth of his misery until that moment. "Pardon me?" He asked, silver eyes wide as he stared at Bones blankly.

"Come along, Mr. Malfoy, we'll introduce you to your bride," said Susan, standing.

Draco remained seated, unsure of his ability to remain upright. "But she's with the Weasel!" He shouted in disbelief.

"The drawing is done by a standard personality and magical aptitude test," Susan said, grabbing Draco's arm and pulling him out of his seat. "Granger was your best match. Now come on, we're going to send you off with her."

Draco, still in shock, allowed Susan Bones to pull him down a long hallway, past other purebloods waiting to be cursed, and into a large room usually used to hold hearings. In the stadium seats were what appeared to be hundreds of women, some looking around nervously while others just seemed bored. Only one was reading a book, and this one was the worst one. "Ms. Hermione Granger?" Susan's voice was amplified in the room, and Hermione's face went dead white as she looked up to see a dazed Draco Malfoy.

"You must be joking!" She shouted, and her face quickly turned red.

"Please stand, Ms. Granger; your partner awaits," said Susan Bones.

Draco couldn't help but notice a change in Granger. Her hair certainly was no disaster, and she seemed to be wearing makeup, for the first time that he had ever seen. She looked … presentable, even, though it killed him to think it. "Hello, Granger," he sneered, getting his senses back as the woman approached him.

"Malfoy, if we get through this without your murder, I'll be surprised," said Hermione threateningly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her breasts were a bit small, but Draco certainly didn't care; it wasn't like he ever wanted to see them.

"Let's just get out of here," Draco muttered, stuffing his hands inside his dark green robes.

Susan handed Hermione a small stack of papers. "Just fill these out and send them back by owl within the week," she said. "And have a nice day."

Draco wanted to curse that smile right off her face. "Right," he drawled angrily, turning to sweep out of the room.

He was disgusted to find Hermione gripping his robes. "What are you doing, woman?" he demanded, once they were outside.

"Well, we've got to Apparate together, don't we? I certainly have no idea where you live," Hermione snapped.

"You're coming home with me?" Draco asked incredulously.

Hermione sighed with frustration. "Didn't you read the provisions of the new law? We've got to move in together right away; it's so we can get to know each other before our wedding." She rolled her eyes at his expression. "Believe me, Malfoy, I don't want to get to know you, either, so you can stop looking at me that way. It's simply the law, and we can't break it or we'll be thrown in Azkaban. Now lead the way," she said, gripping his arm tightly.

Draco cursed himself, and Susan Bones, and the whole sodding Ministry for this abomination. He'd find a way to rid himself of Granger, no matter what it took.


End file.
